Archive | March 2013

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, “Tell me what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft.She then asked her to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. “What’s the point,grandmother?”

Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity–boiling water–but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her granddaughter.

“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?

Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?

—AUTHOR UNKNOWN —

When I ran across this all I could think to myself is I wish I could be coffee all the time, but dang sometimes I’m just a carrot!!! 🙂 What are you?

I ran across this poster on Facebook and everyone was commenting on how this should be posted in every school. They were talking about how every child should read this. They talked about bullying. What I found interesting though is not one person mentioned how this applies to us.
The way we talk to our self and about our self is something every individual male or female, adult or child should pay attention to.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought “I am so ugly.”
Have you ever messed something up and said to yourself “You are so stupid”
Have you ever lost a relationship and told yourself “If only I was…(fill in the blank) He/She would have loved me and stayed”
All these negative things we say to our self-tear us down.
Our words have power is almost an understatement. Our words can be a weapon that destroys us or another person or they can be the medicine that heals.
You have to make a choice to stop using words as a weapon against yourself. Stop lying to yourself about who you are. Speak positive things into your life. Place affirmations around your house and read them daily. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are worthy, you are beautiful, you are strong! Surround yourself with people who build you up, who affirm who you really are.
I know it’s not easy I’m one of the worst ones. Having been over weight most of my life I am extremely hard on myself and fight to keep a healthy positive self-image of myself. I lose the fight some days but I am learning that I do not have to be a victim anymore. I have a choice to be a conqueror, to ignore people and their words, and to stop talking to myself negatively. I am learning that I am worthy!
Do you know that you are WORTHY? Do you know that you can decide today to start loving yourself? Do you know that you do not have to be a victim anymore? You aren’t alone. We can fight this together! Starting today!